Cyprian Norwid

Who was Cyprian Norwid?

Cyprian Kamil Norwid, a.k.a. Cyprian Konstanty Norwid was a nationally esteemed Polish poet, dramatist, painter, and sculptor. He was born in the Masovian village of Laskowo-Głuchy near Warsaw. One of his maternal ancestors was the Polish King John III Sobieski.

Norwid is regarded as one of the second generation of romantics. He wrote many well-known poems including Fortepian Szopena, Moja piosnka [II] and Bema pamięci żałobny-rapsod. Norwid led a tragic and often poverty-stricken life. He experienced increasing health problems, unrequited love, harsh critical reviews, and increasing social isolation. He lived abroad most of his life, especially in London and in Paris, where he died.

Norwid’s original and non-conformist style was not appreciated in his lifetime and partially due to this fact, he was excluded from high society. His work was only rediscovered and appreciated during the Young Poland art period of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. He is now considered one of the four most important Polish Romantic poets. Other literary historians, however, consider this an oversimplification, and regard his style to be more characteristic of classicism and parnassianism.